It's an art, with no right or wrong formula, so just go with it....

Social Media is a marketing channel, with the potential to create a viral* campaign. Social media allows you the ability to engage your audience (and potential customers) in valuable conversations about your company, product/service, brand, and upcoming promotion and/or event.

The social media marketing umbrella includes:

• Social networking sites/ online communities
• Blogs
• Online forums/ discussion boards
• Review sites
• Video and photo sharing sites

For effective social media marketing you want to be anywhere** (online) that enables and engages you with your audience.

Social media can increase your web presences, drive traffic to your website, expand brand awareness, generate exposure, and provide SEO benefits.

Social media has no tangible ROI, per se, but it can and does offer:

• Brand management
• CRM
• Product development
• Reputation management
• Customer interaction, feedback and support
• Community building
• SEO

Effective social media marketing can result in brand equity and loyalty that ultimately can affect sales and revenue. It may not be as direct as a salesperson closing a deal but WOM from a trusted friend of colleague is more of a seller than a salesperson's selling pitch.

*Please note that "going viral" is not an end-result goal to have with any Internet marketing campaign. Marketers are not the ones to determine if something will go viral, your audience and users do.
**With all marketing initiatives, you need to start with an objective first, and then decide which method and strategy to use to approach the goal at hand. Not all social media platforms are going to be as effective if the online community is not the niche market you are looking to engage with.

Mixing Personal with Professional

Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to social media and how to use it effectively in the professional setting. Many people still don’t get it, and most think it’s a fad and can’t be taken seriously when conducting business. Similar to billboards, radio and television, social media platforms are just another outlet to get your message out there. Social media is the new media and many “gurus” state different rules to follow for effective social media marketing. One thing they all have in common is that the objective of a social media marketing strategy is to get online and LISTEN. Funny, because that tip is similar to what women have wanted men to do forever - JUST LISTEN!

Most people advise you to just start using social media, join any and every group and start engaging and connecting with people, mostly because it’s a free medium. Honestly, that’s not a great idea. Like any strategy you must start with your objective. What is it you’re looking to achieve? Who is your target audience? Research, develop your message, and then join. Not all social media platforms hold the same value with what your objective may be. Not all target audiences are enrolled in every platform, granted 73 percent of Americans say they use the internet, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report.

Blending Brands

Merging your personal “brand” and professional “brand” when it comes to social media is not a good idea. You take a risk similar to when a corporation uses a celebrity to endorse a product. Humans make mistakes. For instance, when a celebrity is endorsing a product and their image becomes tainted due to a recent arrest or illegal activity the product’s organization usually drops them pretty fast. Personal image can cross contaminated into your professional brand’s equity. Your personal brand should not be your professional brand, unless you’re trying to be famous for having no talent (i.e. Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, etc.). If you are trying to position yourself as an expertise in a particular field, that is still your professional brand as a person. You must learn and know how to keep that message consistent when doing so. How you conduct yourself in person should reflect in cyberspace. Although this is a very gray area and many will argue for blending your brands.
Strong recommendation is when using social media have your organization be its own entity on the social media platforms you utilize.

For example, if you’ve decided that Facebook is the platform you need to be on to engage with your target audience; create a fan or group page with your company’s brand name and message. Don’t use your personal Facebook page to get your company’s message out there. Keep the focus away from your personal “brand”. Joining the group or becoming a fan of your company’s page is encouraged to drive others to the page. But mixing the two is never a good idea.